"Activity of any civilized authorities should aim at the quality of life, civil rights and freedoms, and spiritual development of personality", Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stated at the parliamentary hearings "The Humanitarian Policy Strategy of Modern Ukraine."
The Deputy Chairman regretted that the governmental Socioeconomic Development Program and goals are characteristic of the Soviet planning. "This approach sets such goals as development of economy, financial rehabilitation, growth of the GDP, etc," M.Tomenko stressed. However, he believes that it is people and their lives that should make the foundation of the approach. "As to the promotion campaign of the authorities, it must be stressed that a ‘new Ukraine´ should be developed to the public benefit, not in favour of the authorities and big business", M.Tomenko stated.
M.Tomenko admitted that every aspect of activity of the authorities was guided by wrong principles. Dwelling upon the medicine and healthcare, M.Tomenko stated that action should be taken to increase the life span instead of constructing costly hospitals that become private clinics later on.
"The education sector should enhance quality and competitive ability of the Ukrainian education, rather than debate governmental order," M.Tomenko admitted.
The conditions of the sports sector and deterioration of physical culture give rise to concerns. M.Tomenko stated that "the authorities should consider development of physical culture not as investments in costly facilities for coming Olympic Games, but as development of grassroots sport; the government spending a lion´s share of efforts on public recreation, not construction of expensive premises."
Commenting upon the cultural development and values, M.Tomenko stressed that Ukraine is facing a conflict of worldviews, when the majority of the public regard themselves as Ukrainian patriots, while the authorities represent themselves as the patriots of Russia and former Soviet Union.